CHENANGO COUNTY — The Sherburne-Earlville team has won the Chenango County Mock Trial final competition.

The Chenango County Mock Trial program is run by the New York State Bar Association, and teaches high school students about the law, gives them the opportunity to participate in mock civil and criminal trials, and teaches them many valuable skills.

Currently, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, Greene, Norwich, Oxford, and Sherburne-Earlville schools have participating Mock Trial teams.

Local Attorney for Children Lisa Natoli, who administers the Chenango County Mock Trial program, said the mock trial season starts with a practice round, followed by three additional rounds. Then, the teams compete in a semi-final round, and the two top teams go on to compete in the finals.

The Oxford and Sherburne-Earlville teams competed in the final round, with Oxford taking on the plaintiff's case and Sherburne-Earlville acting as defense. Ultimately, the Sherburne-Earlville team won out.


"Every year the New York State Bar Association releases a problem, and they alternate between it being a criminal problem or a civil problem. This year it is a civil dispute that these students are working on, and this year's problem is a defamation and libel suit," Natoli explained. "Essentially what was alleged in the problem this year is that a school superintendent filed suit against a student alleging that the student had been posting libelous and defamatory statements about the superintendent on the equivalent of TikTok and public postings and things of that nature."

"Each competition is a trial, and they're provided all the materials that are necessary, including the rules, including evidence, including the law that defines the case, and then based upon the problem that they're provided, they have to create either the plaintiff’s case or the defense case," she added.

Participants in this year's Mock Trial final round included Katelyn Walker, defendant and plaintiff attorney; Collin Jones, witness for the defense; Gaven May, defense attorney and witness for the plaintiff; Evelyn Thomas, plaintiff; Katrina White, plaintiff attorney; Lydia Dulina, defense and plaintiff attorney; Hannah Barth, witness for the defense; Parker McCracken, witness for the plaintiff; and Isaac Larchar, defense attorney.

Sherburne-Earlville Mock Trial Coach Kenneth Buehner said students put in lots of work to learn their case, prepare questions, and memorize testimony.

"We do some instruction on the rules for Mock Trial and then a lot of work on understanding the rules of evidence. After that, it's about building a strong line of questions for a witness examination and becoming 'experts' in each witness affidavit: the 'testimonies' that tell the story of a particular case," Buehner explained.

"We might get the case from the Bar Association around Christmas time and begin reading and planning together once a week or so. Then, by late February, we are together with increasing frequency. Preparing for the semis and finals is a daily commitment."

He said the program helps students to overcome fears around public speaking, as well as build their confidence.

"It challenges students to risk failure in a public forum and gives nearly everyone that participates the awareness that they can run such a risk and succeed. Confidence and an accurate understanding of one's genuine capabilities are the real products of the program," said Buehner. "[It teaches them] thinking on their feet! Also, the connection between hard work and a positive outcome; the team that works hardest is usually rewarded with a victory."

"I encourage more students and high schools in Chenango County to give Mock Trial a try – you'll love it," he added.

The Sherburne-Earlville Mock Trial team will be going on to compete in the regional competition, which includes schools in the Central New York area and is usually held in Binghamton.

The Chenango County Mock Trial program was supported by several local attorneys and judges this year.

Local attorneys who volunteered with the program as advisors included Family Court Attorney Claudette Newman, ADA Christine Rudy, Norwich Court Attorney Jennifer Mason, Oxford Court Attorney Justin Conforti, and Chenango County Attorney Zachary Wentworth.

Additionally, many Chenango County judges and attorneys volunteer to preside over each round of the program. This year, Sherburne Attorney Kayphet Mavady, Chenango County Support Magistrate Steve Natoli, and Attorney for Children Lisa Natoli each judged around. Chenango County Court Judge Hon. Frank Revoir, Jr. presided over the semi-final round, and Supreme Court Justice Hon. Joseph McBride presided over the final round.